Yes, Kurt Fearnley carried the flag and athletes did attend the closing ceremony. For a while. Hindsight is a wonderful things and after social media lit up with criticism, organisers have apologised for a “stuff-up”. Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation, Peter Beattie admitted speeches were “too many and too long” in the ceremony on Sunday night, and said he should not have talked at all during the event. "Did we stuff it up? Yes. Should [athletes] have been a part of the actual ceremony that was broadcast? Of course. We got it wrong. I can't be more honest about it than that," Mr Beattie said on breakfast TV the morning after. Mr Beattie appeared on Seven's Sunrise program on Monday to apologise, having issued tweets earlier in the day. "The reality was that the athletes came in as part of the preshow, but that wasn't shared with viewers," he said. "That was clearly a stuff-up. I am sorry, and if I get a chance, I will apologise to Kurt this morning."

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation, Peter Beattie admitted speeches were “too many and too long” in the ceremony on Sunday night, and said he should not have talked at all during the event.

"Did we stuff it up? Yes. Should [athletes] have been a part of the actual ceremony that was broadcast? Of course. We got it wrong. I can't be more honest about it than that," Mr Beattie said on breakfast TV the morning after.

Mr Beattie appeared on Seven's Sunrise program on Monday to apologise, having issued tweets earlier in the day.

"The reality was that the athletes came in as part of the preshow, but that wasn't shared with viewers," he said.

"That was clearly a stuff-up. I am sorry, and if I get a chance, I will apologise to Kurt this morning."